Wednesday's gleanings from the 2016 Canadian census provide a deep look at the nation's population growth and where that growth is occurring. But what's fascinating is how dramatic the growth has been, which more or less confirms what demographers have known for some time about Canada's big cities.

In a nutshell, Toronto and the GTA grew faster than the national average -- which at five per cent, was the fastest among G7 nations -- while Alberta enjoyed spectacular growth. Calgary is now Canada's fourth largest city, and Calgary and Edmonton were the fastest growing.

Even Manitoba's population growth exceeded the national average for the first time in 80 years. Western Canada now takes in one-third of Canada's population.

The Maritimes didn't do as well. New Brunswick was the only province to experience a drop in population from 2011 and 2016, and several moderately sized communities in Nova Scotia experienced a loss. Atlantic Canada's population as a percentage of the national total has been eroded over many years. Wednesday's statistics confirm what has been happening for decades.

Indeed, the census shows 82 per cent of Canadians live in large and medium-sized cities, one of the highest concentrations among G7 nations. Most live in Ontario or Quebec, although the West is rising. The data says immigration has driven that change, with new Canadians opting to live in urban centres rather than rural communities.

What's new is confirmation the suburbs surrounding large cities such as Toronto are growing at an even faster clip, thus adding to a density challenge that would belie the international view that Canada has plenty of room. The country does have plenty of room, but those who live here are choosing to live huddled up against each other in a few select cities and suburbs. Immigration has compounded that phenomenon, but so have economic opportunities.

For Toronto and GTA, the census confirms an incredible burden on infrastructure and transportation and the expectation to improve both.

Ontario's government is working to meet those challenges, but often at the expense of regions that aren't growing as fast, or at all. Rural Ontario, which has seen an exodus of young people and whose population is older, remains relatively unchanged and its political strength weakened.

The movement of people is always fascinating, but all the more in a country where the trend is toward big cities and an emptied rural landscape.